After learning his classmates were in need, Wilkes County boy builds food pantry to feed community

After learning his classmates were in need, Wilkes County boy builds food pantry to feed community

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Updated: 6:06 PM EDT Mar 28, 2019

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STORY OF A LITTLE BOY OR LOOKING TO CHANGE THAT. WANDA: EAST AND IS A FIFTH-GRADER IN WILKES COUNTY. HE PLAYS BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, AND THE UKULELE. BUT HE DOESN’T PLAY AROUND WHEN IT COMES TO HUNGER. THE LESSON TODAY IN THIS IS PHILLIPS CLASSES ABOUT CAUSE AND EFFECT. EASTON HARTLEY RECENTLY LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT A FEW OF HIS CLASSMATES. AND IT MADE HIM SAD. >> HE WAS UPSET. HE WAS ALMOST CRYING. THEY HAVE A SHARE IN TABLE AT SCHOOL AND THERE WERE CHILDREN TAKING THE EXTRA SNACKS HOME. >> I REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE GO WITHOUT FOOD. WANDA: IN THAT MOMENT, EASTON FOUND A CAUSE AND THEN A PLAN WENT INTO EFFECT. >> THE PLAN WAS TO HELP ALL THE KIDS, THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT NEEDED FOOD. WANDA: FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, HE WAS WORKING WITH A FOOD PANTRY AT ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH. HE WANTED TO BRING THE KIDS HERE BUT THEN THOUGHT ABOUT BRINGING THE PANTRY TO SCHOOL. >> MY FATHER AND I WERE THINKING ABOUT PUTTING A FOOD PANTRY HERE. CAN WE DO IT? I SAID SURE, TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT. WANDA: EASTON AND HIS DAD WENT TO WORK BUILDING A PANTRY. IT TOOK THEM ABOUT FOUR WEEKENDS TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. SO, THI IS THE PANTRY. WITH DONATIONS FROM FELLOW CHURCH MEMBERS, EASTON IS ABLE TO RESTOCK THE PANTRY TWICE A WEEK. >> MANDARIN ORANGES, TOMATO SOUP. WANDA: EASTON IS A QUIET BOY, BUT THE FOOD PANTRY IS THE TALK OF THE TOWN. AND ANGELS, IT SEEMS, ARE LISTENING. >> WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF FOOD AND THEN THE NEXT WEEK WE WILL GO VISIT THE LOCATIONS AND THERE WILL BE A BOX OF FOOD. MOST OF THE TIME, WE DONOR WHO DONATES IT. WANDA: WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THIS FOOD PANTRY IS FILLING A NEED. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL LESSON FOR ROARING RIVER ELEMENTARY AND THE COMMUNITY AROUND IT. EASTON IS A LITTLE SHY, BUT HE HAS FOUND HIS VOICE ON THIS ISSUE. HE HAS SPOKEN TO SEVERAL GROUPS ABOUT HELPING WITH THE FOOD PANTRY. REMARKABLE LITTLE BOY. KENNY: IT’S HARD TO GET FIFTH-GRADERS AWAY FROM VIDEO GAMES AND HE’S DOING THIS. WANDA: VERY THOUGHTFUL. HE SAYS HIS BIG DREAM IS THAT EVERYBODY WILL START TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. HE SAYS ANYBODY CAN HELP AND HE’S RIGHT. TA

A young Wilkes County boy recently learned something about a few of his classmates and it made him sad. "He was upset," said Julie Hartley, Easton Hartley's mom. "It was hard for him to get the words out. He was almost crying."Easton noticed some students were taking extra snacks home from school."I realized how many people go hungry, without food," Easton said.Easton developed a plan to help all the children, and all the men and women, who needed food in his community.Easton had worked with the food pantry at Antioch Baptist for several years, and wanted to bring the kids to it, but then he thought, "Why not bring the pantry to the kids?" "(Easton) stopped me one morning and said, "'Mr. Tidline, my father and I were thinking about putting a food pantry here. Can we do it?'" Roaring River Elementary principal Craig Tidline said. "I said sure. Tell me more."Easton and his dad went to work building a pantry. It took them about four weekends to complete the project. With donations from fellow church members, Easton is able to restock the pantry twice a week. Easton is a quiet boy, but the food pantry is the talk of the town and angels are listening. "Someone will ask how his food pantry is doing and he’ll say we’re almost out of food and then the next week, we’ll go to visit these locations and there will be a box of food or a bag of food, and most of the time, we don’t know who donates it," Julie Hartley said.

ROARING RIVER, N.C. —

A young Wilkes County boy recently learned something about a few of his classmates and it made him sad.

"He was upset," said Julie Hartley, Easton Hartley's mom. "It was hard for him to get the words out. He was almost crying."

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Easton noticed some students were taking extra snacks home from school.

"I realized how many people go hungry, without food," Easton said.

Easton developed a plan to help all the children, and all the men and women, who needed food in his community.

Easton had worked with the food pantry at Antioch Baptist for several years, and wanted to bring the kids to it, but then he thought, "Why not bring the pantry to the kids?"

"(Easton) stopped me one morning and said, "'Mr. Tidline, my father and I were thinking about putting a food pantry here. Can we do it?'" Roaring River Elementary principal Craig Tidline said. "I said sure. Tell me more."

Easton and his dad went to work building a pantry. It took them about four weekends to complete the project.

With donations from fellow church members, Easton is able to restock the pantry twice a week.

Easton is a quiet boy, but the food pantry is the talk of the town and angels are listening.

"Someone will ask how his food pantry is doing and he’ll say we’re almost out of food and then the next week, we’ll go to visit these locations and there will be a box of food or a bag of food, and most of the time, we don’t know who donates it," Julie Hartley said.